Ussler William, Doucette Gregory J, Preston Christina M, Weinstock Chloe, Allaf Nadia, Roman Brent, Jensen Scott, Yamahara Kevan, Lingerfelt Louise A, Mikulski Christina M, Hobson Brett W, Kieft Brian, Raanan Ben-Yair, Zhang Yanwu, Errera Reagan M, Ruberg Steven A, Den Uyl Paul A, Goodwin Kelly D, Soelberg Scott D, Furlong Clement E, Birch James M, Scholin Christopher A
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California, USA.
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Limnol Oceanogr Methods. 2024 Sep;22(9):681-699. doi: 10.1002/lom3.10627. Epub 2024 Jun 12.
Freshwater cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a well-known global public health threat. Monitoring and early detection of CHAB toxins are currently accomplished using labor-intensive sampling techniques and subsequent shore-based analyses, with results typically reported 24-48 hours after sample collection. We have developed and implemented an uncrewed, autonomous mobile sampler-analytical system capable of conducting targeted in situ toxin measurements in less than 2 hours. A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) instrument was combined with the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) to fully automate detection and quantification of particle-associated cyanobacterial microcystins (pMC). This sensor-sampler system was integrated with a Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (LRAUV) and deployed in western Lake Erie for field trials in the summer of 2021. The LRAUV was remotely piloted to acquire samples at selected locations within and adjacent to a CHAB. Sixteen pMC measurements ranging from 0.09 to 0.55 μg/L lake water were obtained over a 14-day period without recovery of the LRAUV. The SPR/ESP/LRAUV system complements existing satellite, aerial, and manual sampling CHAB survey techniques, and could be used to enhance predictive models that underpin bloom and toxicity forecasts. This system is also extensible to detection of other algal toxins in freshwater and marine environments, with its near real-time assessment of bloom toxin levels potentially offering additional socioeconomic benefits and public health protection in a variety of settings.
淡水蓝藻有害藻华（CHABs）是一种众所周知的全球公共卫生威胁。目前，对CHAB毒素的监测和早期检测是通过劳动密集型采样技术以及随后的岸基分析来完成的，结果通常在样本采集后24 - 48小时报告。我们开发并实施了一种无人自主移动采样分析系统，该系统能够在不到2小时内进行有针对性的原位毒素测量。将表面等离子体共振（SPR）仪器与环境样本处理器（ESP）相结合，以实现对与颗粒相关的蓝藻微囊藻毒素（pMC）的检测和定量的完全自动化。该传感器 - 采样器系统与远程自主水下航行器（LRAUV）集成，并于2021年夏天部署在伊利湖西部进行现场试验。通过远程操控LRAUV在CHAB内部及附近的选定位置采集样本。在14天的时间里，在未回收LRAUV的情况下获得了16次pMC测量结果，湖水浓度范围为0.09至0.55μg/L。SPR/ESP/LRAUV系统补充了现有的卫星、航空和人工采样CHAB调查技术，可用于改进支撑藻华和毒性预测的预测模型。该系统还可扩展用于检测淡水和海洋环境中的其他藻毒素，其对藻华毒素水平的近实时评估可能在各种环境中带来额外的社会经济效益和公共卫生保护。
